Slightly more than halfway through his junior baseball season, McCallie's Quinn Smith has committed to play collegiately for Virginia Military Institute.
"It's a great school. I talked with the guys on the team and they all said it was a great place to be," the Blue Tornado catcher said. "The first six months may not be fun -- when they break you down and teach you to be a cadet -- but the coaching staff there is young. They're open and they'll talk to you."
VMI, which has a record of 12-22 this season, is coached by Jonathan Hadra, Travis Beazley, Casey Dykes and Mike Small.
"I know he really likes the recruiting coordinator (Dykes)," McCallie coach Greg Payne said. "They had seen him at a camp, and he liked the school and the program when he visited. He is comfortable with the school and the coach and felt like he ought to go ahead and pull the trigger.
"He has been more relaxed since he made the decision. It was obvious it had been on his mind."
Smith also had an offer from Lee University, which is the school of choice for teammate Tyler Payne, and Belmont also had shown interest.
An integral part of McCallie's 2014 state championship team, Smith is hitting .322 this season with two home runs, a triple, two doubles and 21 RBIs.
"He's a No. 4 or No. 5 hitter -- a guy that needs to swing a bat for us, and he's done that well," Payne said.
"He has a very good arm, but he's really a complete catcher and not just a defensive guy. He has a little pop in his bat and does most things well," Payne said. "He projects well as a college catcher and will give more than most. He blocks (pitches) well and he has a high ceiling offensively. He's a hard-working, maximum-effort guy that loves baseball, and for him there's no such thing as a lackadaisical play."
One of a catcher's most important duties is handling the pitching staff.
"He's a lot better this year. He learned some last year from Christian Burnett, and he has stepped up in that role," Payne added.
"I'm working on being a better leader behind the plate -- being able to talk with all the guys on the team," Smith said. "I'm not focusing on one thing but trying to improve overall. I'm still working on blocking, throwing and receiving the ball, and I'm always working on my swing."
VMI could provide him with an education but also a springboard.
"Obviously I want to see how far baseball will take me. If baseball works out, great, but I will eventually go into engineering," he said.
Contact Ward Gossett at wgossett@timesfreepress.com or 423-886-4765. Follow him at Twitter.com/wardgossett.